The Camera
by KouenTaisa
Summary: Spoilers if you haven't seen episode 25 yet. A tribute to Maes Hughes! Implied RoyEd


Author: My tribute to Maes Hughes. -grins- I couldn't do anythign else but writing a story, and so here it is.

_Disclaimer: I don't own FMA...just this story._

**The Camera**

The best memories of life are sometimes those that are caught on photographs. For one man, the first four years of his daughter's life were caught on camera and showed in the photos that littered his house. Maes Hughes was a master at taking pictures at the perfect time. For instance, he caught Roy and Ed's first kiss in one of his pictures. He also had a picture of Jean Havoc being chased by Black Hayate, but that was another story. Edward carried that picture with him everywhere in his suitcase, the one of him and Roy kissing.

Hughes almost always had his camera with him, just in case something interesting happened around the office, which it usually did. Various pictures were situated around his office and in his home, but even more littered the desks of his comrades, and that of his superior. Roy Mustang had three pictures on his desk, and only three. The first was one of his subordinates, including Edward and Alphonse, taking by a very proficient Ross. The second was one of Roy and Edward at a small office party, taken by Hughes. His last picture was of him and Hughes, arms around each others shoulders, taken by some random soldier.

Even he had to admit that Hughes was great with a camera. In his house he had many pictures of himself and Hughes, as well as pictures of his subordinates, including Edward and Alphonse. The majority of them had been snapped by Maes himself, while others were taken by a slowly learning Roy, and some still taken by random soldiers. Yet none of the pictures were better than those taken by Hughes himself. He was always able to take the best photographs, capturing the essence of the moment in something so frail.

But as much as he loved taking pictures, he loved showing them off just as much, if not more. You could always find him around the office, waving the newest photographs of Elysia in his hand, or those that you'd seen a thousand times before. Yet...he loved his young daughter and wife more than any of the photographs he ever took. It was with those that he was able to keep alive the beautiful baby girl that was born on the night of a blizzard. It was with those photographs that he was able to see his baby girl stay that way...just a baby.

The memories kept in those pictures lining the walls were precious to all that laid eyes upon them. Whether or not you knew the family, as long as you looked at those photographs, you knew the love that they shared. Even though the pictures would fade and lose color, their lives weren't that way. As Roy stood there in the Hughes living room, he could see all of the many memories that Maes had carried with him. He wondered why there were no recent pictures of Elysia along the walls or on the mantle. Maybe it was because her father was no longer there to take them...or maybe just because Gracia was unable to use a camera proficently yet.

So now Roy stood there in the home of his departed best friend, he gave a gentle smile to Gracia as he laid a hand ontop of Elysia's head. The young girl giggled while her mother smiled, able to see the time it took for Roy to make the decision to come here at all.

"Just because Maes is gone...doesn't mean that Elysia has to stop lining these wall, does it?" he asked in a friendly tone. For a moment, Gracia was taken by surprise at the Colonel's words before she smiled and nodded.

"Yes, you're right. Would you like a job then, Roy, taking pictures of Elysia? I'm afraid I'd break the camera."

Roy laughed as he nodded, ruffling up the child's hair slightly. This would be his tribute to Maes. He would take the camera now, and capture those interesting and memorable moments in photographs. He would be the one to show the newest pictures of Elysia off to the others. And he would be the one to tell Maes all about it when he visited him. Roy grinned as he steadied the camera and few moments later and snapped a shot of four year old Elysia as she read to her mother...just like Maes.

Author: How was it? Please review and tell me!


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